As Cardiff City head to Middlesbrough hoping to keep their Championship play-off hopes on track, the ghosts of previous fixtures loom large once more.

There has been joy against the Teessiders, of course, particularly in the FA Cup.

Who can forget, the hero of the Bluebirds’ barnstorming win over Brighton on the weekend, the ever-green Peter Whittingham, curling home a beauty at the Riverside back in 2008 to send his side to the semi-final and then the final at Wembley?

But those Cardiff fans of a darker disposition might, as Russell Slade’s men head north, find their thoughts drifting to a different occasion.

On Monday, May 2, 2011, the weather was set fair in the Welsh capital, it was a bank holiday and the Bluebirds, under then-boss Dave Jones, were finally poised to make history.

After years of disappointment and near-misses, a heart-breaking defeat to Blackpool in the Championship play-off final was less than a year passed.

Cardiff's Kevin McNaughton shows his disappointment after missing an easy chance against Boro

The lugubrious Jones was set to finally end decades of hurt and get the Bluebirds into the Premier League. The even better news was that, this time, no play-off tribulations would be needed.

The Bluebirds welcomed Tony Mowbray’s Boro to the Cardiff City Stadium knowing victory and a win in their last game of the season at Burnley would see them promoted automatically along with QPR. No-one this time could stand in their way, could they?.

Yes as it happened. Ass so often with the Bluebirds, tragedy was not so far away.

There were nerves at the Cardiff City Stadium that day, of course, despite Jones’ typical and understandable desire to play the occasion down.

But those who fretted contented themselves with the fact that Boro arrived with little to play for. Surely a Cardiff side which had only lost once at home since the previous November would not stumble now?

Naturally, we should have known better. It was May Day after all and soon Jones’ men were sending out a distress signal.

It only took 150 seconds for Boro to breach their hosts. Leroy Lita, later to endear himself even more to Cardiff fans by joining arch-rivals Swansea City, headed home, then Barry Robson and Richard Smallwood found the net. Cardiff were 3-0 down and there were 21 minutes gone.

In truth the Bluebirds never really looked like fighting back despite boasting a side which was brimming with talent.

Craig Bellamy was at his hometown club on loan, Tom Heaton was in goal, stalwart Kevin McNaughton at full-back, Seyi Olofinjana roamed midfield, the lively Chris Burke was on the wing and the class of Jay Bothroyd operated up-front. But it was all to no avail.

No matter though, Norwich still had to win at Portsmouth to confirm they were to take second spot rather than Cardiff. But, of course, that they did....1-0 later that same day as Cardiff supporters looked on in horror.

To say the Bluebirds’ camp was demoralised would be an understatement. A team that had focussed on automatic promotion virtually all term once more found themselves in the play-offs.

And then the rumours circulated, about how certain players at the club had not prepared properly. There were whispers of nights out ahead of the Boro game and they refused to go away.

Jones himself issued proclamations about his side now needing to focus on the play-offs, but also didn’t try to duck away from what was being said.

Leroy Lita of Middlesbrough is tackled by Peter Whittingham of Cardiff City

“Some of the players had been out partying,” said Jones. “I felt let down. Disappointed. But not everybody can be tarred with the same brush.

“It’s down to the people who did it – a very small minority of a big playing squad, 22 players and it’s a small minority of those. Everybody is disappointed. Not just me but the staff and everybody.

“We will look into it, we will investigate. But we have other issues to deal with now in terms of playing matches. We will find out the truth rather than listen to stories flying around and deal with it in a manner which everybody expects it to be treated.”

By the time focus diverted back to matters on the pitch Reading were the opponents in the play-off semi-finals. Yet there seemed a crushing inevitability about the outcome over two legs.

Cardiff City manager Dave Jones looks on as Cardiff City lose 3 - 0

Despite a good 0-0 draw away in the first encounter, the Bluebirds were trounced 3-0 in the Welsh capital and their dreams had, once more, turned to dust.

It sounded the death knell for Jones as boss. After six years in charge, he was shown the door on the morning of May 30.

Later that afternoon it was Swansea who reached the top-flight, easing past Reading at Wembley.

As Slade’s men head to Teesside this time, the stakes might not be quite as high as they were five years ago, but the Bluebirds are daring to dream once more of the Premier League.

You can only hope the lessons of history have, for once, been learned.